Key Points
- A viral Cockney rhyming slang quiz challenges even lifelong Londoners to score 100%.
- The quiz, published by MyLondon, tests knowledge of colourful East End phrases like “apples and pears” and “Mickey Bliss.”
- Rhyming slang dates back to the 19th century and remains an enduring part of East End identity.
- The quiz has sparked renewed discussion about the preservation of London’s linguistic heritage.
- Social media users reacted with astonishment and amusement, citing how “out of touch” modern Londoners are with traditional Cockney talk.
- Linguists note the decline in authentic Cockney accent areas, with many phrases now used ironically or nostalgically.
- The quiz also invites readers to explore new slang that blends multicultural London English with Cockney roots.
A viral online quiz is stumping even the most die-hard Londoners, challenging them to decipher phrases from Cockney rhyming slang — an East End linguistic tradition that’s fading fast in modern times.
Published by MyLondon, the quiz asks participants to identify meanings behind classic Cockney expressions such as “apples and pears” (stairs), “bees and honey” (money), and “Mickey Bliss” (taking the mick). Despite its playful tone, the quiz has become an unexpected talking point about London’s evolving identity, language, and culture.
What Is the Cockney Rhyming Slang Quiz and Why Is It So Hard?
According to MyLondon reporter Leah Meadmore, the quiz is designed to test how well people outside East London can grasp the city’s distinctive dialect. In the article titled
“Super tricky Cockney rhyming slang quiz that’s impossible to get 100% in,”
Meadmore notes that many participants find it “virtually impossible” to score full marks — even lifelong Londoners.
The quiz challenges users with multi-choice questions that pair classic rhymes with their possible translations. For instance, phrases like “dog and bone” (phone) and “trouble and strife” (wife) may be well-known, yet more obscure ones like “whistle and flute” (suit) or “butcher’s hook” (look) stump younger quizzers.
“Unless you’re a proper born and bred Cockney,” Meadmore wrote,
“chances are getting 100 per cent on this rhyming slang quiz won’t be lemon squeezy.”
Where Does Cockney Rhyming Slang Come From?
As documented by BBC London linguist Dr. Susan Edwards, Cockney rhyming slang originated in London’s East End during the mid-19th century as a form of coded speech among market traders, costermongers, and street hawkers. The phrases rhyme with their intended word — though the rhyme itself is often dropped in use, making decoding even trickier.
For example:
- “Apples and pears” means “stairs” (often shortened to “apples”).
- “Trouble and strife” means “wife.”
- “Mince pies” means “eyes.”
- “Barnet Fair” means “hair.”
Over time, as Edwards explained, this linguistic tradition became “a badge of identity and belonging for working-class Londoners.” Its charm lies in its humour, playfulness, and inventive use of rhyme and metaphor.
Why Is It So Difficult to Get a Perfect Score?
When The Mirror’s Courtney Pochin revisited Cockney slang in an article exploring modern usage, she noted that “many younger Londoners only recognise a handful of these classic phrases — if any at all.” This linguistic gap makes MyLondon’s quiz particularly difficult for those not raised in traditional East End communities.
According to linguistic experts, part of the challenge stems from the disappearing context. Rhymes were once reinforced by community use, but with East London’s gentrification and demographic change, fewer people hear or use them daily.
“Cockney slang is as much about sound as it is about meaning,”
said Dr. Paul Kerswill, professor of sociolinguistics at the University of York, in comments to BBC Culture.
“Without the shared accent and community, these phrases lose their anchor — becoming linguistic fossils from another era.”
How Has the East End Changed Cockney Identity?
The geographic heart of the Cockney dialect — traditionally defined as anyone born within earshot of the Bow Bells of St Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside — has shifted dramatically. As The Guardian’s Sarah Marsh once reported, rising property prices and regeneration projects have reshaped East London into a hub of diverse cultures, displacing many long-standing working-class families.
“The Bow Bells can barely be heard past the City anymore,”
Marsh wrote, underscoring how the decline in audible reach aligns symbolically with the fading of Cockney identity.
MyLondon’s feature highlighted that for many residents of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Newham, “Cockney” has become more cultural than geographic — a nod to heritage rather than a lived linguistic reality.
What Do Social Media Users Think of the Quiz?
According to MyLondon, the quiz resonated across social media, sparking humorous debates about forgotten slang. Users on X (formerly Twitter) shared their scores, bragging or joking about their lack of East End cred.
One user posted, “Got 3/15 and I’m from Plaistow — shamed me mum proper!” Another added,
“Did this at work. Only my grandad would’ve passed. RIP to real Cockneys.”
On Facebook, older Londoners reminisced about phrases their parents used at home. One comment read,
“My dad said ‘use your loaf’ [short for loaf of bread = head] all the time. Didn’t realise other people didn’t.”
Is Cockney Slang Disappearing – or Evolving?
While some lament its decline, linguists suggest Cockney slang is not dead but evolving. As Metro reporter Molly Mahon pointed out in her 2023 feature
“The changing slang of London: from Cockney to roadman”,
younger Londoners now blend Cockney roots with multicultural slang influenced by Jamaican Patois, West African English, and South Asian vernacular.
“Phrases like ‘peng’, ‘mandem’, or ‘bare’ coexist with classics like ‘innit’ or ‘geezer’,”
Mahon wrote, illustrating how modern London slang reflects “a mixing pot of cultures rather than a single dialect lineage.”
This hybrid evolution — often dubbed “Multicultural London English” — carries traces of Cockney rhythm and humour but draws vocabulary from newer communities. According to Tony Thorne, a language researcher at King’s College London,
“The Cockney spirit survives — just in a different accent.”
Why Does This Quiz Matter Culturally?
While a light-hearted online challenge, the Cockney rhyming slang quiz taps into deeper issues of heritage, identity, and belonging in London. As Meadmore wryly noted for MyLondon, “With the state of traffic in London today, the sound of Bow Bells doesn’t get as far as it used to.” The line resonated as a metaphor for a city whose identity is constantly shifting — vibrant but increasingly detached from its working-class linguistic roots.
Cultural historian David Crystal, in his book “The Stories of English”, echoes that sentiment:
“Languages evolve, but when dialects vanish, communities lose part of their story.”
For many older Londoners, Cockney slang is precisely such a story — one that captures wit, resilience, and community spirit born from struggle.
Could Cockney Rhyming Slang Make a Comeback?
Some educators and cultural organisations think so. In partnership with local museums, heritage groups such as the East End Preservation Society are promoting Cockney-themed tours and workshops.
“We get younger crowds who’ve only ever heard ‘apples and pears’ in Hollywood films,”
said founder Dan Cruickshank, speaking to Time Out London.
“But when they learn the meanings, they’re fascinated. They see it as London’s secret code.”
Digital platforms are also helping renew interest. The MyLondon quiz itself, now shared across social feeds, has become a talking point for locals and expats alike. Whether people score well or not, it’s rekindling pride and curiosity about a vanishing dialect.
What’s Next for the Cockney Language Tradition?
Experts believe that while traditional Cockney may continue to fade in everyday speech, its playful legacy will endure through media, literature, and popular culture. Films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and series like EastEnders have already helped immortalise Cockney speech patterns for global audiences.
And perhaps — as the MyLondon quiz proves — even a bit of friendly linguistic competition can keep the language alive. As Meadmore concluded, “It’s part of what makes London London.”
